PSAudios 3.5. The Kalrexi Mutation

An aggressive alien jungle, teeming with strange squawking creatures... a tribe of sinister hooded strangers chanting for sacrifice... and a megalomaniacal Robinson Crusoe stalking through the trees. It is, to all intents and purposes, an ordinary day for the Doctor, Nick and Rob.

But questions abound, as ever. Why is Rob plagued by dreams of chattering robots? Just how did the stranded outcast Professor Thraxton wind up on Kalrexi? And what's up with the monkeys?

Then, deep in the jungle, the Doctor discovers that even a Time Lord can run out of time...

This was always going to be a jungle-set story, but it was originally called The Monkeys of Kalrexi. The idea had been knocking around since at least November 2007, but took a while to realise.

Si Hunt:
The earliest script I have is dated May 2007 and is called "The Kalrexi Dilemma". It was written and tinkered with over a long period while I was at work, and always intended as a 'standby' script although I soon fell in love with it and wanted to make it. When we did the recording session for Eye of the Daleks and The Curse of Ratanapura in Bracknell, some of the key cast for Ratanapura were late arriving so I pulled out my script and we made it instead. And that's about it! There's not a very complex history to this one - written, whipped out and recorded, put together. After it was finished, I wrote several teaser scenes with Rob, Nick and the "fake" Doctor turning up in different locations which were inserted into the end of the various preceeding stories in the season to trail it. It looks like all the raw files and out-takes are still on my computer, as is the Trailer.

After reading through the script in depth, Si Hunt also spotted a couple of things that are never explained (namely why the Clone-Thraxton's are of lesser intelligence and deeper voice, and how the TARDIS team can leave in the TARDIS at the end when the Omega Circuit is fused!) so he asked Paul and Steve to record an extra couple of lines at the following recording in November to explain away those things....

Si Hart on CD extra The Maze of Confusion:
Originally I was going to make more of the fact that nothing at all happens, but I sort of got bogged down in the low word count and didn't make use of that as I'd expected. I was going to have them thinking all sorts of things were going on around them and for it to turn out there wasn't anything. In the end it was just fun having them lost in the maze and coming together again to find their way.

A very enjoyable episode I thought. I'm really enjoying Alex' portrayal of the Doctor, very cheery and quite different to Paul's - though I suspect he won't be an 'official' Doctor in the end, I think I'd quite like to see an Alex-Doctor story.
Martin Penny

I love the more than slightly camp Thraxton - "I COMMAND IT!" and the old 'evil laugh turned spluttering cough' were moments that made me smile. Nice to see the old mark four security droids back too!
Part one is wonderful, with the monkeys and Thraxton doing their stuff. There's some great jokes throughout, more than a few lines made us chuckle! I think the problem is when we meet the 'Doctor' and he has to explain what's going on.

Still, I loved the jungle drums feel to the whole thing and Thraxton's wonderful evil laughter! Alex was superb as an alternative Doctor too, slightly more patronising than Paul but still likeable. He had more of the arrogance of Pertwee, which was wonderful!
Rob McCow

I really enjoyed this, the performance's were great, the production superb as always, and the script is inventive and fun, with a lot of great lines. I didn't think it would be quite as comical as it was, what with the various musical cues on top of Si's superbly camp villain, but it works really well and makes for a unique PS audio. That said, I do actually think my own performance is a bit uneven - it was harder than usual, as I had to sort of be Paul's Doctor, but with slight hints of Crippen's original persona, and there are times I think I got it right, but others where it doesn't quite work as well.

I'm honestly not looking for compliments (Some lines I think I delivered brilliantly! ) and I see it more of a learning curve to be honest, nobody's ever going to be perfect after all (though that said, Wayne's Dalek voices came pretty damn close). And the main thing is that I'm just greatful that I got the chance to be part of something that I think is an excellent production - so thanks to Si for writing it, and whoever the lovely souls were who cast and produced it this time.
Alex Finch

An excellent end to a great season - really liked Ep2, with its post-modern asides (did someone turn over two pages ), and the multiple Dr Thraxtons, and the clever way of getting multiple Doctors in the same story (and chances for spin offs and re-unions). Well done to Steve and Dave - although we've got used to their excellent performances its a tribute that they still make Nick and Rob interesting while staying true to thei characters.

I think PS should be proud of producing proper DW - a huge variation in story type and tone, but undeniably just like the real thing. BF - be very afraid.....
Jon Masters